Chapter 3.10

Just as Mrs. Mars’ suspicions deepened, Mr. Wharton lifted Natalie’s hand and gently kissed the back of it. The kiss lingered longer than one of mere courtesy, and his eyes remained fixed on Natalie throughout.  

Thanks to his kiss, Natalie seemed to awaken as if breaking free from a spell or a deep slumber. She finally spoke.

“G-good morning, Mr. Wharton. Did you sleep well last night?”  

Her tone was awkward, as if reciting lines from a script. Mr. Wharton responded with a natural smile.

“No.”  

“……”  

Natalie’s eyes wavered, as though such a response wasn’t in the script.

“Natalie, I couldn’t sleep, thinking about our promise.”  

“…Promise?”  

Mr. Wharton pulled Natalie’s hand closer to his chest.

“You promised to hold my hand when morning came, didn’t you?”  

“I….”

Natalie, about to ask, “Did I?” met Mrs. Mars’ sharp gaze. It was as if she were ready to catch any slip in their act.

“…I suppose I did.”  

Natalie answered anyway. Mr. Wharton wore a mischievous smile, as if he were an accomplished actor.

“I didn’t want to let go of your hand until late last night, but you insisted it was time for me to leave and sleep. You told me that if I came back when the sun rose, you’d hold my hand again.”  

As she listened to Mr. Wharton’s smooth and seamless words, Natalie began to wonder if she had forgotten the events of the previous night due to intoxication.

Had Mr. Wharton tried to hold my hand? Had I promised to hold his hand again?  

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t recall such a thing. Mr. Wharton gazed at her with narrowed eyes.

“Don’t you remember?”  

“Oh, I suppose I did.”

Once again, Natalie answered with an awkward smile and tried to let go of Mr. Wharton’s hand. However, he held on tightly, making it impossible for her to pull away.

“There was another promise, wasn’t there? We agreed to wake each other with a kiss….”

Mr. Wharton’s gaze moved from Natalie’s eyes to her lips. His eyes curved gently, carrying a playful glint.  

Natalie realized the teasing hidden in his crescent-shaped smile.  

“I don’t recall that.”  

Natalie subtly refused, hoping to prevent Mr. Wharton from playing such a prank in front of Mrs. Mars. Mr. Wharton’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a hint of disappointment.

“Do you love me less than you did last night?”  

His gaze at Natalie was sorrowful, as if he were a lover who had been abandoned. He even uttered the word “love,” which he had so often disdained, without hesitation.  

Faced with a man delivering such an over-the-top performance, Natalie was flustered. Overnight, she had somehow become a heartless person who had broken a man’s heart.  

“That’s not it….”

Natalie, flustered, glanced at Mrs. Mars with dry lips.  

“That’s not it.”  

She clarified to the sole audience member before turning back to Mr. Wharton. When their eyes met, he lowered his head with a wounded expression. He looked heartbreakingly sad, as if his pain were genuine.  

Was he not joking?  

Natalie began to doubt herself. Nervously, she leaned closer to Mr. Wharton.

“…I’ll do it after Mrs. Mars leaves.”  

She whispered softly, covering her mouth with her hand.  

Her words caused a crack in Mr. Wharton’s otherwise flawless performance. A laugh escaped him, breaking his composure.  

As Mr. Wharton covered his mouth and shook with laughter, Natalie realized she had been completely fooled by his prank. Clearly, Mr. Wharton would make an excellent actor, just as he excelled at making friends.  

A cough, mixed with embarrassment, interrupted the two. When Natalie turned her head, she met Mrs. Mars’ gaze.  

A foreboding feeling washed over her—Mrs. Mars might have overheard her words.  

Caught in an awkward situation as the unwelcome third wheel, Mrs. Mars hesitated before rising from her seat.

“Well, I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Natalie stood to see her off, but Mr. Wharton’s grip on her hand prevented her from following. He stood between Natalie and Mrs. Mars.

“Thank you, Lady Daity.”

Mrs. Mars was startled. Lady Daity—it had been so long since she had been addressed by that name that she had nearly forgotten it. Not since her marriage had anyone called her that.  

The man who had revived her forgotten name smiled beautifully.

“Thanks to you, I was able to keep my promise.”

Mr. Wharton’s affectionate gaze shifted to Natalie.  

Mrs. Mars finally regained her senses. She had almost reverted to her younger self, ready to hand over her heart like an innocent young lady.  

Natalie, looking flustered by her ever-present lover, gave an awkward smile.  

Mrs. Mars decided to stop playing the role of an intruder and left the parlor. As she exited, she glanced back. Through the slightly ajar door, she saw the couple standing close together.  

As Natalie sank onto the sofa, Mr. Wharton leaned over her as if to envelop her. His broad back obscured Natalie from view.  

Imagining what might happen next, Mrs. Mars sighed.

“Oh dear….”

Hurrying away, Mrs. Mars couldn’t help but feel bothered by the open door. 

What if someone else saw them? 

Her face burned with embarrassment. She hastily shut the parlor door and scurried off.

***

“She’s gone.”

Natalie lightly tapped Mr. Wharton on the shoulder, which was blocking her way. However, Mr. Wharton didn’t move. Instead, he stepped even closer.

Natalie’s gaze wandered over Mr. Wharton’s face. Fine eyes, long lashes, a sharply defined nose—her gaze eventually landed on his lips. Her hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, froze, unable to move.

“Now…”

She wanted to say that it was enough. That since Mrs. Mars had left, there was no need to continue pretending to be lovers.

But it seemed Mr. Wharton thought differently.

“It’s time to keep your promise, isn’t it?”

Mr. Wharton asked slyly.

Promise.

Natalie recalled the words she had spoken.

“I’ll do it once Mrs. Mars leaves…”

She couldn’t take back what she had said. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to kiss him either. Trapped by Mr. Wharton, she leaned back against the sofa, avoiding his gaze by turning her head.

That only made Mr. Wharton lean in closer.

“Was it a lie?”

His voice, now low and subdued, brushed against her ears. The sudden change in his tone made him sound sorrowful.

“So, your feelings have changed overnight. You don’t want to be my lover anymore.”

The topic had shifted in an instant, moving from the promise they had just made to the one from last night. Swept up by Mr. Wharton’s words, Natalie answered helplessly.

“No, I meant it. I was sincere.”

But Mr. Wharton stepped back. His expression seemed to say he couldn’t believe her words, as though he had already concluded that she had decided against being his lover. His face was calm, resigned, as if he had accepted her rejection.

It looked as though he was about to say, ‘Well then, have a good afternoon, Miss Maron,’ and leave with a polite farewell.

In a rush, Natalie cupped Mr. Wharton’s cheek, pulling him back toward her. She quickly and lightly kissed his cheek. Though it was just a brief brush of her lips, it had taken all of Natalie’s courage.

As she nervously lowered her head, her eyes met his blue ones. His expressionless gaze bore into her, and Natalie felt herself growing even more tense under his unyielding stare. She fought the heat rising to her ears and met his eyes directly.

“I don’t lie.”

Natalie’s firm words softened the blue eyes that had been fixed on her. His intense gaze melted into a smile.

Seeing Mr. Wharton smile, Natalie felt relieved. She thought she had finally made it clear that she was willing to be his lover and had fulfilled her promise without issue.

“I kept my promise.”

“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. The kiss I know involves two people’s lips meeting.”

“…”

“If it were the cheek, I would’ve called it a peck on the cheek.”

Mr. Wharton’s gaze shifted to her lips, as if demanding she properly fulfill her promise. Natalie frowned. His demand felt unreasonable.

Kissing the back of the hand or the cheek could certainly be considered a kiss. If, as he claimed, a kiss strictly involved lips meeting, then a peck on the cheek should require cheeks touching…

Her thoughts came to a halt as Mr. Wharton countered her reasoning with action instead of words.

His lips gently pressed against hers, fulfilling his definition of a kiss.

The suddenness of it left Natalie wide-eyed, unable to do anything but allow the kiss. The soft, firm shape of his lips was distinct against hers. It was a sensation entirely different from the touch of lips on the back of her hand. Perhaps lips were more delicate than hands, making them more sensitive.

When their lips parted, their proximity remained unchanged, and their gazes locked.

“If I kiss you again now…”

Mr. Wharton’s low voice resonated deeply within her.

“It’s neither a mistake nor an accident.”

His lips parted slightly. As he tilted his head toward her, Natalie tightly shut her eyes.